What It Takes
by Canadian Crow
Summary: The ZPD recruiter repeatedly emphasized how difficult the academy training program was, that it was designed to push the strongest and toughest mammals to their limits. She'd calmly explained that she would be the judge of what she could handle.
1. Part 1

_Note: I make no claim of ownership to the characters or settings._

 _Zootopia Police Academy – Class #1082  
_ _Week 7 of 16 (Monday)_

ZPD Cadet Judith Hopps had spent her entire life on a carrot farm and like any self-respecting farmer, she was no stranger to hard work or early mornings. Since she was a four-year-old kitten, life on the Hopps Family Farm meant being awake before the sun and wrangling her multitude of little brothers and sisters as her parents and older siblings divvied out jobs.

Twenty harvest seasons later, Judy thought that she understood what it meant to be exhausted. She thought that adding four years of university on top had taught her how it felt to be overwhelmed. She been confident that getting into the police academy had given her some perspective in overcoming adversity.

The last seven weeks had blown all those ideas right out of the water. The day had barely even started and she already felt worn out. The relatively small bunny marched tiredly toward the academy mess hall, flanked by her follow trainees, her aching muscles wanting nothing more than for her to go back to the barracks and collapse onto her bunk.

The entire class been running drills on the environment course since well before sunrise – a seemingly never-ending cycle of getting soaked on the swamp patch, chilled on the ice slope, and then essentially sandblasted in the academy's own pocket sandstorm. None of these obstacles had looked particularly daunting on the first day, but whatever intimidation they lost in size was quickly regained in repetition.

The whole process, which left their skin raw and muscles burning, played out under the close supervision of their lead instructor, Sgt. Franklin. The polar bear hadn't been bothered in the slightest by the cold morning air and showed little compassion for those that did. She was constantly pushing them beat their best times as each of them did their best to focus on something other than their aching muscles and shaking paws.

As she filed into the food line with the rest of her class, Judy thought back to her first conversation with a ZPD recruiter. He'd repeatedly emphasized how difficult the training program was, that it was designed to push the strongest and toughest mammals past their limits. She remembered the sense of outrage she'd felt when the uniformed coyote outright told her that a bunny wasn't up to the challenge, then smiled down at her and asked if she'd considered any of the other ways she contribute to her community. He'd actually had the nerve to recommend Zootopia's new Urban Sustainability Program, pointing out the need for "experienced farm animals" to supervise the community gardens.

She'd calmly told him that she would be the judge of what she could handle. He'd shrugged, accepting her application paperwork. The following two months were a blur of aptitude tests and qualification trials - all of which she passed with flying colors - and the day her acceptance letter arrived was one of the happiest of her life.

Now she found herself standing in line for breakfast; half-asleep, half-frozen and half-heartedly trying to shake the water out of her left ear.

Earlier that morning, one of the other trainees – Greg Humphreys – had washed out of the training program altogether. Although he had smashed every record on the desert course, the ice wall wasn't so easily defeated. The otherwise tough-as-nails camel had once again succumbed to the cold and collapsed into the frigid water - it had been his fifth case of hypothermia to date. He'd shown a lot of courage by coming back each time, but the toll was obvious; his hooves started trembling every time he stepped onto the ice.

He'd already been hauled out of the water and wrapped in a foil blanket when Franklin's booming voice had sent them scrambling back to the course. Judy watched as the normally aggressive instructor knelt beside Humphreys, gently placed a large paw on his shoulder and told the heartbroken camel that he was done. She thought Humphreys might have cried a little, but the Sergeant had smoothly placed herself between him and his former classmates.

"You did your best, cadet. You can be proud of that." Judy sharp ears barely caught the Sergeant's uncharacteristically comforting tone. "Take your time. I can stay here as long as you need me to."

By the time they returned to the barracks Greg was already standing outside in his civilian clothes, duffel bag in hand. Most of the candidates had shuffled past him quietly, some offering a brief nod or mumbled farewell. Deep down, many of them were secretly happy it hadn't been them. Despite her exhaustion, Judy had managed a brief smile and told the camel she was sorry to see him go.

"Thanks, short stuff." He'd grumbled as she passed by, smiling faintly.

Last in line had been Cadet Nathan Barrow, a white-furred timber wolf and one of Humphreys' roommates. The camel kneeled down to Barrow's height and the wolf smiled sadly at his friend. "Take care of yourself, ya ugly bastard."

"You too, mutt." Humphreys' deep voice had cracked slightly as he thumped his hoof against the wolf's paw. She'd left the two of them to their goodbye and hurried to get washed up and changed for breakfast.

Now she stood in a breakfast line between a rhino and a tiger, not quite able to shake the image of Humphreys standing on that curb. Was that it for him? All that work to get here and now he was gone, just like that? She wondered whether Humphreys would be back. Would he put himself through the entire application process again? Would the ZPD even consider him as a candidate again?

She'd try again. If it was her, she'd definitely try again. And she was pretty confident the camel would be back. He didn't seem like the quitting type.

A light shove snapped Judy's mind back to the present and she realized she'd been holding up the line. Mumbling an apology, she stood high on her toes to reach for a meal tray and stepped out of the line. She made a beeline for the fresh produce, humming some Gazelle song to distract herself from the sound of the grills.

Most of her fellow candidates were predators (omnivores, at least), and on an intellectual level she'd understood that most predator species needed a lot of protein to function properly. Greer alone could put away almost 25lbs of protein-rich food per day. Naturally that was reflected in the dining hall's menu.

Weeks ago, when she'd enthusiastically bounced up to the counter for her first breakfast as a ZPD cadet, she'd been assaulted by the profoundly unfamiliar sight, sound and smell of cooking meat. Confronted with the image of shrimp and crickets popping on the grill, her stomach had pulled an immediate backflip and she'd spent the next ten minutes dry-heaving in the bathroom.

Wincing at the memory, she quickly filled her plate with the fruit, vegetables, and nuts she preferred. She quickly spotted Cadet Daphne Talbot, one of her own roommates. Daphne smiled warmly and waved Judy over. A quick glance at the other cadet's plate solved the mystery of the missing berries and honey granola.

Following the bunny's unfortunate reaction to the Academy's menu, she'd had to put up with her classmates' teasing for days. It was a common occurrence for her to find lobster restaurant bibs hidden in her pockets or airsickness bags carefully folded between the pages of her textbooks. She'd accepted that it was all in good fun and even had a laugh or two herself – particularly when the Academy Sergeant-Major had looked her square in the eye during an inspection, demanding to know why the sushi in her locker wasn't properly lined up with the rest of her kit.

Although most of the teasing had been playful and eventually tapered off, some had been downright mean. During meals, she'd occasionally found crickets slipped in her food when she wasn't looking. Once she'd discovered a crude - and slightly disturbing - drawing taped to her locker; it was entitled "Killer Bunny", and depicted a rabbit with blood-soaked fangs.

It went on for a few days and she thought she'd done an admirable job of ignoring it - until the evening she'd thrown back the sheets on her bunk to reveal the head, spine and innards of a recently gutted salmon.

Clone fish were literally brainless, grown specifically to provide protein rich meat without the possibility of cruelty – but that didn't matter in the slightest when Judy's horrified gaze met the fish's dead eyes. Her body forgot she was at the top of a bunk ladder as she involuntarily recoiled, losing her balance and falling to the floor. She landed firmly on her back, driving every last wisp of air from her lungs in a sharp cry of pain.

Gasping for breath and trying to shake the image of the fish's eyes, Judy was upset to hear two of the other candidates that shared the room laughing at her. She clenched her eyes shut and silently willed herself not to cry, detachedly aware of Daphne climbing from her bunk, walking over and helping Judy up off the ground.

"Are you alright, Hopps?" She asked, concerned. "Did you hit your head?"

She'd had quietly assured Talbot that her head was fine. The older cadet had given the bunny's shoulder a gentle squeeze, then guided Judy to her own bunk. Walking back to Judy's, Talbot gathered up the ruined sheets and carried them out to the garbage. She returned shortly after, sat down and gently rested a paw on the demoralized bunny's shoulder.

"So...you're going to sleep in my bunk tonight and I'm going to take the couch in the common room." Daphne told her matter-of-factly. When Judy's opened her mouth to object, she was silenced with a raised paw. "No arguing now. You've been tied up in knots for days and you need to get some actual rest."

Judy sighed, smiling weakly as a wave of exhaustion rolled over her. Laying back, she barely felt the blanket that was gently laid over her. As the bunny drifted off to sleep, Daphne turned to the other cadets in the room and pinned them with a look that said one thing loud and clear – the bullying ended now.

Judy woke the following morning to the familiar sounds of reveille and rushed outside with everyone else. She'd fallen into formation beside Talbot and risked a reprimand with a whispered "Thank you."

"Anytime, Hopps." Daphne had whispered back with a ghost of a smile.

Daphne and Judy shared similar upbringings – they both came from small towns and had both grown up working on a family-owned farm. They had both dreamed of becoming police officers from a young age, but while Judy had dedicated her life to that goal right away, Daphne had chosen to start a family of her own first. And years later, her husband had happily taken over the day-to-day running of their honey farm so she could finally pursue her childhood dream. Apparently, her two boys where already bragging that their mama was going to be the toughest and coolest cop ever.

That was also why Daphne wasn't training to become a ZPD officer. After graduation, when the rest of them would be headed to one of the Zootopia Precincts, she was getting assigned back to the local Sheriff's Department in her home town, Acrewood.

Months later, when Judy learned that Sheriff's Deputy Daphne Talbot had been nicknamed 'Mama Bear' by the town's citizens, she hadn't been surprised in the slightest. Anyone who spoke to Daphne could understand why she'd chosen to become a police officer; she had a protective streak a mile-wide and could go from nurturing to menacing in the blink of an eye. Something that the would-be bullies had learned all too well, cowering in the shadow of a 1,500lb pissed-off Kodiak Bear.

* * *

End Part I


	2. Part 2

_Note: Author makes to claim of ownership to the characters or settings._

 _Academy Training Centre  
_ _Week 7 of 16_

After breakfast, their class been sent directly to their usual classroom with orders to wait for their instructor. Daphne used the time to review her notes on traffic violations, until the cadet nearest to door announced the instructor's arrival. "Atten-shun!"

The entire class jolted up from their seats, eyes locked forward. This was a common, albeit annoying, practice at the Academy. Anytime an instructor entered the room, all of the candidates were called to attention. This was customarily followed by that instructor's order to relax and sit down, but no such order was given as a stocky snow leopard strode calmly to the front of the room.

As the feline calmly placed a Snarlbucks cup on the instructor's desk, their eyes were immediately drawn to two patches on his sleeve; the trio of chevrons of a ZPD Sergeant, and the muted black & grey shoulder flash that marked him as ZPD SWAT.

The Sergeant began stalking between the rows of cadets, sizing up the recruits one at a time. "My name is Sergeant Matthew Winters, and I'll be overseeing your tactical training for the remainder of your time at the academy."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the classroom. For many of the cadets, this was the part of academy training they anticipated most.

"Although this training will include firearms and paw-to-paw combat, it also requires intensive physical conditioning and in-depth education on the laws and regulations surrounding use-of-force situations. These will be added to your existing training regimen, so I suggest you learn to effectively manage your time."

Daphne had spent her adult life understanding that most mammals found her intimidating; she stood almost ten feet tall, had claws nearly six inches long, and her thick fur made her look even larger than she was. Even so, when the feline paused to scrutinize her the bear felt an unfamiliar shiver run up and down her spine, remaining until he eventually moved on.

"I imagine one or two of you have aspirations of becoming tactical officers yourselves." He speculated, eyeing Greer as the tiger tried to stand even straighter. "At this point in your training, I wouldn't recommend getting your hopes up."

"On the other hand, some of you may be under the impression that you'll never need tactical training. You've already envisioned your career as one long parade of parking tickets and quiet foot patrols in the park." He growled low in his chest. "Disabuse yourself of this idea, because I guarantee the day will come when another mammal will try to take your life."

He let the concept sink in, padding silently until he came to a stop beside Judy. "Are you lost, rabbit?"

Judy looked confused, but didn't offer a response.

"Perhaps you're with the cleaning staff?" The snow leopard pressed. "I appreciate that you didn't want to interrupt, but this lecture is for ZPD training candidates only. You'll have to leave."

"I…" The rabbit responded hesitantly. "I _am_ a ZPD candidate."

"You don't sound very sure of that."

"I am a ZPD candidate." She repeated confidently.

"I'm glad we were able to establish that." His expression turned hostile. "But the next time you want to share with the class I suggest you address me as Sergeant, _Cadet._ Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sergeant."

"I have to ask; what you think a bunny could _possibly_ provide to the ZPD?" He continued in a low growl. "That is, other than a cautionary tale?"

A few stifled laughs echoed in the otherwise silent room, and Judy's ears began to flush with embarrassment. "A police officer, Sergeant!"

"Is that right?" The Sergeant asked, feigning surprise. "You intend to enforce law and order in a city like Zootopia?"

"Yes, Sergeant."

"Then tell me something, Cadet." Raising his paw, Winters slowly extended his claws in front of Judy's eyes. "What if, right this moment, I just decided to rip you open like a wet paper bag? How exactly would you propose to stop me?"

Daphne felt a surge of protective anger, but a lifetime of personal discipline kept her from doing anything foolish. The Sergeant was only trying to intimidate Hopps, and it was to her credit that the bunny didn't flinch or tremble. In fact, the only outward sign of her discomfort was the occasional twitch of her nose.

After a moment, the Sergeant dropped his paw and leaned down into her sightline. "You can still save yourself from a nasty end, Cadet. Just sign the paperwork and go back to whatever patch of nowhere you came from. Then you can happily get back to the only two things bunnies are good for - growing carrots and making more bunnies."

Daphne took a deep breath, letting it sooth her smoldering temper.

"One way or another." Winters said coolly, standing. "You _will_ quit long before you see that badge."

Hopps shook her head angrily.

"Speak up, rabbit. Or am I no longer worth talking to?"

"Not going to quit, Sergeant." The rabbit replied through clenched teeth. "Never going to quit."

* * *

 _Training Field  
_ _Week 8 of 16_

If Daphne had thought the weeks leading up that moment had been tough, then the weeks that followed were a nightmare. Their existing physical training and academic course load was suddenly augmented by the additional training brought on by the tactical instructors, turning their days into a maddening grind.

The most torturous training occurred on the physical training field; it was where the candidates found themselves this afternoon, running a seemingly endless series of wind-sprints. Having long since proven her speed over short distances, Judy had taken to pacing the slower candidates and offering extra encouragement.

"C'mon, big guy." The rabbit cheered, running alongside Cadet Warren as the polar bear huffed along. "You can do it!"

Giving her a half-hearted glare, the bear took a deep breath and put everything he had left into the last thirty feet. Slumping to the ground as he crossed the fine, the panting white bear peered at Judy as she bounced and cheered. With a snort of laughter, he lifted a frying pan sized paw and good-naturedly shoved her over.

"Everyone gather in!" Winters suddenly roared. "Hopps, Greer and Farrow - up front."

Daphne watched – a little apprehensively – as Judy followed the tiger and hippo to the front of the group.

"You three are being given an opportunity to earn a break for your fellow candidates. Fifteen whole minutes free from wind sprints.

As a faint murmur of excitement passed through the group, Winters pointed to the ropes crisscrossing the muddy pits of the rainforest course.

"Each of you will climb out to the middle of a rope. Once there, your fellow candidates will grasp the ends to the rope and attempt to dislodge you. All _you_ have to do is hold on for thirty seconds." Winters sneered at Judy. "Think you can manage that, cotton tail?"

"Piece of cake, Sergeant." The bunny replied confidently, despite the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

As the three of them made their way out to the ropes, Daphne could clearly see what the catch was. Although the ropes were well-anchored and relatively level, they were dangerously slick with wet mud.

She watched Judy give Greer and Farrow an encouraging nod, and was pleased to see the tiger and hippo respond with the same. Judy straddled the rope, carefully pulling herself hand over hand to the middle and wrapping her limbs tightly around the rope. On the next rope, Greer adopted a similar position and dug his claws in. Turning, the tiger gave the bunny a wink and a grin. "Good luck, tiny."

"You too." She nodded back.

"Thirty seconds." Winters yelled. "Starting now."

The ropes began to jump before he finished talking, leaping like live wires. Judy let out a squeak as the rope tried to tear out of her grip. Nearby, she heard Farrow yelp as her line twisted and bucked wildly; the hippo had been unlucky enough to have her rope held by Burns and Myers, the course's pair of elephants.

Farrow let out one last startled cry, followed shortly by the sound of the hippo landing in the mud.

Distracted by Farrow's yelping, Greer loosened his grip for a fraction of a second. It turned out to be a fraction too long as he lost purchase of the rope and went sailing into the sloppy mess. Judy, on the other hand, dug in with every bit of strength she had as her fellow candidates cheered her from below.

"Come on Hopps! You can do it!"

"Hang on, Judy!"

Spitting out a mouthful of muck, Greer grinned up at her. "C'mon, tiny! You got this!"

Daphne's eyes moved from one candidate to another. Some were cheering for the rabbit in earnest, while some were cheering for the opportunity to rest. A few just watched indifferently. Glancing at her watch, Daphne watched it pass twenty-two seconds - Judy was going to make it.

Then she noticed Winters approach one of the rope braces as he casually extended his faintly yellowed claws. At the twenty-eight second mark, his arm snapped out and severed the rope with a single blow. The line jerked suddenly as the furthest candidates found themselves pulling without resistance. For a brief second, Judy seemed to hang weightlessly in the air before she plunged into the three feet of freezing sludge below. She came up gasping, paws slapping down in the mud as it coated every part of her face and body, scrabbling toward the side.

"Why would you do that?!" Daphne roared at the snow leopard, lunging at him with murder in her eyes. Burns and Myers – displaying impressive quickness for their size – intercepted her before she got close enough to take a swipe at the cat, holding her back as she screamed in his face. Winters just watched calmly as Judy climbed out of the pit and flopped onto her back, confused and angry.

"By my count, that was twenty-eight seconds." He replied coolly. "Back to wind sprints."

Daphne she managed to rein in her anger as she shook the other two off. Glaring at the cat, she let out a single blow to her right that splintered the eight by eight wooden brace the rope had been tied to, sending it down into the mud pit. "It wasn't fair!"

The other cadets - and even a couple of instructors - backed uneasily away, eyeing the bear they already knew to be strong with something akin to fear or awe.

Winters just looked on, unimpressed, "You done?"

Daphne didn't respond.

"Why don't you lead your fellow candidates back onto the track, Talbot." He continued. "And you had best reign in that temper or I will have you _all_ running sprints until..."

* * *

 _Sparring Gym  
_ _Week 9 of 16_

"...YOU'RE DEAD!" Sergeant Franklin bellowed in Judy's ear as the bunny's eyes fought to refocus. Across the boxing ring, Horner gave her an apologetic look for knocking her into the post. "NOW GET ON YOUR FEET AND OUT OF MY DAMN RING!"

Across the gym, Daphne watched her friend struggle to her feet and lower herself off the edge of the ring. Stepping away from the punching bag she'd been ruthlessly pummeling, the bear began to make her way over to sparring mats to check that her friend was alright. She knew that she shouldn't be so protective of the rabbit – her husband regularly teased her for being such a "Mama-Bear" – but Daphne couldn't help but feel a little defensive on behalf of the smaller mammal.

As Daphne watched the bunny remove her largely ineffective protective padding and cradle her head in her paws, she failed to hear the approaching footsteps behind her; she almost yelped when Sergeant Winters seemed to materialize in front of her. Recovering quickly and taking a step back, Daphne stood upright and looked the smaller cat in the eye. "Good afternoon, Sergeant."

"Talbot." The Sergeant responded. "Going to check on Hopps, I presume?"

"Yes, Sergeant. She got hit pretty hard."

"Yes, she did." He agreed. "One hopes she'll always have someone there to take care of her when she gets knocked down. Assuming she even graduates, of course."

"She's going to graduate, Sergeant." Daphne responded, glancing at the rabbit over the leopard's head.

"I doubt that."

"She will." Daphne stated, a little defensively. "I think she'll be one of the finest officers to ever serve the ZPD."

"I assure you, the best way she can serve the ZPD is to quickly and violently die in the line of duty." He stated coldly. "Highlighting exactly why having under-qualified token mammals on the force is a disaster waiting to happen."

Daphne's mind came to a jarring halt as she struggled to formulate a response. "I..."

"We have provided her with the knowledge and training she needs, and she has thus far failed to effectively apply it." He continued, eyes narrowing. "A police officer unable to meet the required standard for duty is a liability to themselves, to their partner, and to their entire precinct. If you are too obtuse to realize this, I strongly suggest you reconsider your chosen career."

Glaring at him, Daphne gradually felt her rationality slowly give way to anger. A familiar fire ignited deep inside her chest and the sound of her own racing heart filled her ears as she let out a low, rumbling growl at the Sergeant. She was barely aware that she'd begun flexing her claws.

"You're standing on the sparring mats with a tactical instructor - what an opportunity." The Sergeant briefly regarded the padded floor beneath them, then looked up at her again. "So either take your shot or return to your training, _cadet_."

Daphne didn't need to be told twice as she swung her massive paw, fully intent on knocking the arrogant cat head-over-tail across the room. But when it reached the point where it should have connecting with the Sergeant's exposed head, he simply wasn't there. Daphne's brain didn't even have time to process her confusion before she felt something hook around her leg, abruptly pulling it out from under her and sending her tumbling backward. Winters leaped back into her field of vision just as she felt her back touch the ground. He spun once in mid-air and brought his knee down sharply on the center of Daphne's chest.

She felt the air explode from her lungs, her vision going blurry as her lunch threatened to make a reappearance.

"Get a hold on that temper, Talbot. I won't warn you again." Winters growled, looming over her as she tried to catch her breath. "Now get on your feet and return to your training."

As the bear slowly lumbered away, Sergeant Franklin gestured the snow leopard to one side.

" _Really?!_ " She hissed. "Dammit Winters, are you trying to train these cadets or kill them?"

"I'm trying to save their lives." The cat responded softly. "Talbot needs to learn to control of her temper, and Hopps needs to stand on her own two paws. If she can't manage that, she could very well get killed on their first day."

"Who're you to say she can't? Two months and she's still here - even _you_ have to admit that takes guts."

"I'm not denying that she's got guts, Franklin." He turned to leave. "I'd just rather not hear they got torn out."

* * *

 _Firing Range  
_ _Week 10 of 16_

Among their areas of training, they had begun to spend hours on the shooting range being trained on the entire ZPD arsenal. They became familiar with everything from the basic compressed-air tranquilizer pistol, all the way up to the heavy weapons used exclusively by ZPD SWAT teams.

Unfortunately, Judy couldn't safely lift anything larger than a patrol shotgun – although she could forget about actually firing it. Even the recoil of a standard pistol was enough to knock her off her feet.

"This is ridiculous." Daphne heard the rabbit mutter as she rubbed the rapidly forming recoil bruise on her shoulder. "Officers in Zootopia don't even _carry_ firearms."

She turned to respond, but the words died in her throat as she gaped at the figure looming over Judy's shoulder.

Turning slowly, Judy didn't seem surprised to find Sergeant Winters standing there – though to be fair, he always seemed to appear at the perfect moments to berate her. However, they were both surprised when instead of a reprimand for her attitude, Winters handed her a small holstered pistol.

"It's chambered in .32 ACP. Relatively low recoil." He stated. "I imagine even you can manage it, Hopps."

Judy must've allowed some glimmer of gratitude appear on her face because the cat scowled angrily at her. "Don't give me that look, Cadet. You can't take the qualification test without a weapon, and I can't fail you for incompetence if you don't take the test."

* * *

 _Cadet Barracks  
_ _Week 11 of 16_

"Judy, we're friends," Daphne stated quietly as she lay in her bunk. "And I feel friends should be honest with one another."

Although Judy didn't respond, Daphne knew the bunny had heard her.

"In the spirit of that honesty, I have to ask you something." The bear rolled onto her side, watching her small friend do hanging sit-ups from her bunk bed ladder while reading an academy textbook illuminated by a flashlight.

"What's...that...Daphne?" Judy whispered between reps, although given the volume of Farrow's snoring she needn't have bothered.

"Are you, in the literal sense, possessed by some kind of evil spirit?"

"Don't...think so."

"Okay." Daphne nodded. "But if your head starts spinning around, I'm going to get the academy chaplain."

"Fair...enough."

"Good night, Judy."

"Good night...Daphne."

* * *

 _Sparring Gym  
_ _Week 12 of 16_

Cadet Nathan Barrow was walking Greer through the finer points of joint locks when a sharp cry, followed very quickly by a loud crash, pulled everyone's attention to the sparring mats where Talbot was training. Just beyond, the wolf spied Hopps sprawled out of the floor.

"What in the hell is going on over here, Talbot?!" Sergeant Franklin roared, storming over to the distressed-looking bear. "Lords above! Am I the only mammal here not actively trying to kill Hopps?!"

"I'm sorry Sergeant... I didn't think I swung that hard and..." Talbot stammered.

"It's my fault, Sergeant. I told her to go all out." Hopps groaned, rolling over onto her side and gasping through her clenched teeth. "I need to improve, so I didn't think there was much point to her holding back."

"Ambitious." Franklin growled as the stunned rabbit climbed back to her feet. "But not overly practical."

Peering at Hopps, Barrow begrudgingly admitted to himself that Hopps had a point. The bunny needed to push her limits, and Talbot needed full training to see any improvement. Of course Horner, Burns and Myers could go toe to toe with the enormous Kodiak when it came to power, but the bear needed to learn to control that power as well.

Waiting for the Sergeant to pause in her reprimanding of both the bear and the rabbit, Barrow jumped in hefted the pads. "I'll swap with Hopps for a bit."

"Are you sure?" Sergeant Franklin asked, eyeing him critically.

"I've got eight older brothers." the wolf grinned, "Let's see if a kodiak can do any worse."

Franklin looked between them, then nodded. "Alright. But Talbot...?"

"Yes, Sergeant?"

"Work up to full strength slowly and listen to Barrow if he tells you to back off."

"Yes, Sergeant." She nodded.

The polar bear took a few steps away, paused, and turned back. "Barrow."

"Sergeant?"

"You have previous fighting experience, correct?"

"That's right, Sergeant."

"Good." She nodded. "Get Hopps sorted out."

The wolf blinked. "Err... yes, Sergeant."

* * *

End Part II


	3. Part 3

_Note: Author makes to claim of ownership to the characters or settings._

* * *

 _Sparring Gym  
Week 12 of 16 - Weekend_

"Thanks again for your help, Barrow."

"Don't worry about it." The wolf gave her a wry smile and double-checked her paw wraps. "Though to be fair, I _was_ ordered to."

"Well, I still appreciate it." She insisted, stretching her tense muscles. "So...where'd you learn to fight so well?"

Barrow let out a faint chuff of laughter. "I was the smallest pup from a litter of nine, short stuff. I've had to fight my brothers for everything since the day I was born."

"That sounds terrible!" She gasped. "How could they treat you like that?"

He wasn't surprised by the affronted look on her face. Most mammals had difficulty understanding canine culture, particularly when it came to reconciling the aggressive undertones with their generally affable personalities. "We're wolves." He shrugged. "It's our way."

She frowned as she climbed into the ring behind him, but didn't press the issue. "How long will this training take? I can shave a few study hours off each week if I have to."

"Oh, we don't have _nearly_ enough time for any worthwhile martial arts training." He commented, stretching lightly. "Becoming reasonably proficient in any martial art generally takes years."

"Then why are we –"

He ignored her half-formed question. "That being said, it's not like we're not trying to get you to a competition- ready level."

"So..."

Barrow grinned, shifting into a comfortable stance. "So, let's see what we're working with."

"You think you can take the dreaded killer bunny?" Judy teased nervously, bringing her paws up.

"I'll take my chances." Barrow quipped, flicking two claws slightly, inviting her to attack.

She took a deep breath as she moved in, opening with a quick right jab that connected with Barrow's side and elicited a sharp breath from the wolf. She followed it with a left cross that struck her sparring partner right in the gut and sent him dancing back a couple of paces.

Beginning to feel more confident, Judy decided to press the advantage. She began imagining herself tagging Barrow right on his muzzle. Her expression hardened as she burst into motion, launching a furious right cross directly at the canine's nose.

Faster than she could have imagined, his right paw swung upward and swatted her punch aside. Before she could react, his knee rocketed through the gaping hole in her defense and buried itself in her stomach. She cried out in pain and fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Well," Barrow said, cocking his head to one side. "I think I know where to start."

* * *

 _Live-Fire Training  
Week 13 of 16_

Cordite and sweat filled Judy nostrils as she stacked up at the door behind Greer and Barrow. Gripping her sidearm tightly, she tried to keep her breathing steady as Greer silently counted down from five. At zero the tiger slammed his foot just beside the knob, allowing himself to be pushed back as the door gave way.

Lifting her pistol, Judy followed Barrow through the entrance. The wolf swung to the left as Judy went right, casting her eyes around the darkened space. As her barrel swept the room, a figure appeared from behind an overturned table and came rushing at her out of the shadows. Her finger tightened around the trigger and the pistol barked, jumping in her hand and the figure dropped solidly to the ground.

"Cheese and crackers." She hissed as she heard weapon fire erupt from all around her. Eyes scanning the rest of the room as she tried not to think about how many real bullets were flying around. "Clear!"

"Clear!" Barrow called out a second later as Greer swept the room from behind them.

"Clear!" Greer practically roared.

"Room clear!"

The entire exercise had taken maybe sixty seconds - certainly not more than a minute - and the lights came back on as the last call sounded. Judy shook her head as spots danced across her vision. Even with her hearing protection, her ears were ringing from the sound of gunfire. Looking upward, she could see they rest of the class watching intently from the raised walkway.

"Forty-three seconds...not bad." They spun to find Sergeant Winters standing in the doorway and holding up a stopwatch. "Not particularly _good_ , but not bad."

The three of them silently accepted the Sergeant's backhanded praise, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Hopps," He added coolly. "Go take a look at your target."

Judy moved apprehensively to where she'd fired, peering down at the fallen target and wincing when she saw the word 'CIVILIAN' written across the front – with a single bullet hole right between the I and the L.

"Astounding. Only one hostage you needed to watch for, and somehow they get shot in the chest." The leopard drawled, looking directly at Judy. "Why did you fire on that civilian, cadet?"

"Because it came at me out of the dark and I saw it as a threat, _Sergeant_." Whether it was the ringing in her ears or the frustration of constantly getting singled out, but Judy had let a note of irritation creep into her answer. She braced herself, awaiting either a sharp reprimand for her flippant tone or some scathing remark about how easily bunnies got scared.

"Fair enough." Winters acknowledged, to the surprise of all three cadets. "The middle of an armed raid is the absolute _last_ place to start second guessing yourself. An officer needs to observe, assess and act as fast as their mind and body will allow. In this respect, Hopps' lagomorph reflexes give her a distinct advantage."

He turned his gaze upward, addressing the rest of the class. "Make no mistake – conducting a raid can be one of the most difficult and complex things you may have to take part in. At best, it's bedlam in a box. As patrol officers, you'll soon find that mammals tend to do incredibly stupid things when under extreme stress. This is particularly true during active-shooter situations. They'll run around when you need them to stay still, freeze when you need them to move, try to be heroes and get themselves killed – maybe by the bad guys; maybe by us."

The cadets looked uneasily at one another, not comfortable at the idea of inadvertently killing an innocent bystander.

"In any case, you're done here. Go gather outside and wait for Sergeant Franklin." The Sergeant concluded. "Hopps. Barrow. You two stay behind."

Judy tensed, turning to face Winters as the other Cadets rushed out of the room. "Sergeant?"

"That would have been a dead civilian on your conscience. Fifty push-ups, and get that itchy trigger finger under control." He growled. "Barrow, you're her spotter. If she stops or lays down before she's done the full fifty, she starts over at one. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." The wolf responded stiffly.

Judy's ears slumped as she dropped to the floor and began the assigned push-ups.

"Rejoin your class when you finish." The snow leopard paused at the door. "And Hopps?"

"Sergeant?" The bunny ground out between motions.

"Nice aim."

* * *

 _Sparring Gym  
Week 14 of 16 - Weekend_

Gazing upward, Judy studied the tiny motes of dust suspended in a bright shaft of sunlight.

"If you had to guess," Barrow asked, crouching beside the dazed rabbit. "Why'd you end up down here?"

"Gravity?" She groaned, sitting up painfully.

"Very funny." He grabbed her paw and pulled her to her feet. "You've shouldn't be trying to knock me down, short stuff. You'll never manage it."

"That's so reassuring." Judy grumbled, dusting herself off. "You're a regular Mr. Meowgi."

"What do you want from me? I'm fresh out of cars to wax." He fired back, smirking. "I'm telling you, you've got a _lot_ going for you; you're fast, agile, undeniably strong for your size, fast, and have better stamina than anyone I've ever met. We can work with that."

"You said fast twice."

He smiled encouragingly. "It bears repeating."

She grimaced, foot thumping against the mat in frustration. With a faint sigh, she shifted her stance and raised her arms into a ready position, balling her paws into fists. "Okay, let's go again."

"Freeze." Barrow instructed, halting her in place as he moved around her. "You're still not hearing me."

As the bunny let out an annoyed chuff of breath, Barrow reflected on the boxing style that ZPD training revolved around. It was so heavily focused on hitting – sort of a 'knock 'em down with the first swing' mentality – that is was _completely_ _useless_ for someone like Hopps. She'd get killed if she tried to overpower most predators; she'd probably get killed just trying to restrain them.

Not for the first time, he found himself wondering whether the bunny actually did belong here. There was no question that she had determination, but that wouldn't mean much when she tried to arrest a violent offender and ended up getting a close-up view of her own guts.

"If you get into a fight out there, odds are it'll be against a much larger mammal." He took a casual swipe at one of her ears, smiling as she reflexively moved it out of the way. "The problem is that they hit hard and tend to bounce back from getting hit."

Judy clenched her teeth, "I knew that already."

"That's enough of a problem for big mammals – it can wear them down, y'know?" He kicked the inside of her right foot sharply, noting the way her balance instantly shifted to compensate. "That's why you need to make them fight on your terms."

"Politely over tea and carrot cake?" She quipped.

He rolled his eyes. "Your advantage is that you've got stamina for days. Any perp that tries to win by wearing you out is gonna end up on the ground."

She shot him an incredulous look.

"I'm serious." Barrow insisted. "Take Horner, for example. The guy weighs just shy of two tons and I've seen him bench _at_ _least_ half as much. Pretty strong, right?"

She nodded in agreement, wincing slightly as she remembered her disastrous sparring match with the rhino.

"You've seen him on the running track." The wolf watched as her ears swiveled back and forth, tracking the sounds of his movement. "He does okay - but _his_ marathon is _your_ warm-up. I want to see you use that to your advantage."

"To do what?" She asked, looking away in frustration. "Run away?"

"If that's what it takes, Hopps." Barrow insisted as he stepped in front of her again, raising his paws into a ready position. "Because it's high time you started fighting like a bunny."

* * *

 _Academy Training Centre  
Week 14 of 16_

"I know everyone hates that ice wall," Farrow groused. "But was it really necessary to use me as a springboard?"

Judy smiled apologetically at the hippo while Barrow glowered at the back of her head.

* * *

 _Sparring Gym  
Week 15 of 16 - Weekend_

As she stared up at the slowly rotating ceiling fan, Judy realized that she'd lost count of how many times she'd been thrown painfully to the same floor.

"Your qualification is in a few days, Hopps." Barrow reminded her as she climbed to her feet. "What is it that you aren't understanding?"

"Come on!" She fired back. "It not as if I'm not trying here!"

"You're _not_ trying; that's the problem!" He ran a paw over his face in frustration. "Okay, we need to come at this from a different direction."

"How?" Judy muttered. "Are you going to throw me into the ceiling for a while?"

"Nope." He bared his teeth. "I'm just gonna beat the hell out of you."

" _What?_ " Her eyes widened fearfully as she backed away. "I'm not sure tha…"

"Clearly you're lacking the right motivation, so I'm gonna provide some." He explained, advancing on the nervous bunny. "And like Winters said before, how do you propose to stop me?"

"I can't jus–WHOA!" Her excuse was cut off as she twisted away from Barrow's swipe. "You can't–YAA!"

Judy ducked under another vicious strike, feeling his claws brush the tips of her ears.

"Barrow, this isn't funn–AHH!" The wolf cut off her protest with a vicious punch to the stomach that lifted the bunny off her feet, sending her tumbling across the ring. Shaking her head and forcing her eyes to focus, Judy scrambled away from her attacker. She barely evaded Barrow's follow-up attack; the lightning-fast kick merely grazed her ear rather than taking her head off.

Her muscles twitched like live wires as her heart thundered in her chest. Dodging another violent strike, she leaped backward and felt her back thump solidly against one of the ring's posts – she was cornered.

Blind panic began to overpower her mind, freezing her in place. She desperately wanted to run or beg or scream or even cry. Instead she stood there, wide-eyed and slack-jawed as Barrow swung low, aiming to take her legs out from beneath her and send her to the ground. She knew she'd be defenseless on her back, lying helpless while the predator tore her belly open and devoured her. She briefly wondered if it would hurt.

Her entire world narrowed to that incoming paw, set to strike her dead before she'd ever realized her dreams. The memory of her last phone call home floated to the top of her mind, and she remembered ending it with a 'talk to you later'. Why hadn't she told her parents she loved them?

Her view of the incoming paw was so clear and focused that she could see the fur waving slowly as it cut through the air. It would have been almost hypnotic if it weren't for the flickering, twitching movement in front of her face. An absurd curiosity prompted her to try to get a better view, her eyes crossing and focusing on…her nose.

Her small, pink, _rapidly twitching_ nose.

Judy's mind snapped into crystal clear focus, as if a bucket of ice cold water had been dropped on her head. The rest of the world might've been moving in slow-motion, but her little bunny neurons were firing as fast as ever.

Barrow was almost upon her; the wolf's wrapped paw was close enough to touch. She felt her ears draw downward, lying flat against her back as her powerful legs tensed. At the last second, a single command rushed from some deep part of her brain and the tightly coiled muscles fired.

Suddenly she was airborne, the strike passing harmlessly beneath her. She tucked her legs beneath her as she rocketed upward and drove them into the wolf's shoulder as she passed. The unanticipated impact threw Barrow's weight off-center. As he tried to regain his balance, he threw his paw out to grasp the back of Judy's t-shirt.

Judy felt her forward momentum come to a jarring halt and realized Barrow had gotten a hold on her. Rather than succumbing to fear, she focused her thoughts, twisted violently in his grip and brought her hind paws to bear. She took half a second to enjoy to immediate look of regret in Barrow's eyes, then unleashed a savage volley of claw-backed kicks into the wolf's exposed face.

* * *

 _Mess Hall  
Week 15 of 16 – Saturday_

"I'm so sorry! I really am!" She insisted, trailing Barrow through the mess hall.

"I know." The white furred wolf sighed. "And I already said that I forgive you."

Judy scowled. "You don't sound like you've forgiven me."

"Well, I have." Making a beeline for the ice dispenser, he filled a small plastic bag with frozen cubes and fell heavily into the nearest chair. Whining softly, he gingerly pressed the makeshift icepack to his rapidly swelling muzzle. "You did good, Hopps."

"I did?" The bunny asked, ears snapping upward.

"I sure as hell didn't see it coming." He confirmed, gesturing to his face. "If you do half as well at your hand-to-hand qualification, you'll pass with flying colors."

"Yeah!" She grinned proudly, practically bouncing. "Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad you're happy. Now can you _please_ leave me in peace?"

* * *

 _Cadet Barracks  
Week 16 of 16_

The last week of training arrived faster than any of them could have predicted, and with it came an onslaught of final exams. Monday and Tuesday were comprised entirely of written exams. Judy knocked them out of the park one after another, spending the time in-between helping the others cram for their own.

Things got interesting on Wednesday when the class was evaluated on pursuit and arrest techniques, before they put their driving skills to the test on the tactical driving course.

Thursday had been their final day of examination, highlighted with the surprising results of their hand-to-hand qualifications.

"Watch out, Horner!" Farrow cried. "It's a butterfly!"

"Try playing dead, buddy." Greer suggested, laughing. "Remember that there's no shame in crying!"

The rhino steadfastly ignored them, stomping out of the Mess Hall. For the most part, he was incredibly proud of Hopps' improvement and not a little awed by the spectacular ass-kicking she delivered. That being said, since his defeat in the ring he had been victim to an equally spectacular level of mockery.

"Enough with the teasing, you jerks." Daphne scolded them, fighting a smile. "Who knows if he can endure it in his delicate state?"

"Don't listen to them, Horner." Judy piped up from just behind him. "There's no need to be scared anymore; I've already asserted my dominance."

Despite himself, Horner couldn't help but laugh at the bunny's chipper tone. "Oh, screw you Fuzzy."

Leaning down to Judy's height, he gently thumped his fist against hers.

They filed into the barracks common room, where Sergeant Franklin was waiting with the next day's schedule on her clipboard. "Reveille will be at 06:00, PT from 06:30 to 08:00, parade practice from 09:00 to 12:00. Following lunch you'll have an hour to get cleaned up and go over your uniforms. The graduation ceremony will be at 14:30, so I was you all formed up outside the barracks and ready to march over no later than 14:10. Are there any questions?"

"No Sergeant!" The candidates answered together, sitting stiffly.

"Alright then. You can all relax. By this time tomorrow, you'll all be real-deal police officers." She gave them a surprisingly warm smile. "And I'm tremendously proud of you all."

The cadets looked at one another, uncertain about how to respond to the Sergeant's new attitude.

"Wherever you end up being assigned," Franklin continued, looking directly at Judy. "I honestly believe that each and every one of you will be a credit to the ZPD."

The soon-to-be officers sat quietly for a moment as the weight of what they had accomplished finally began to dawn on them.

"But since tomorrow hasn't come 'round just yet..." The Sergeant added as she rose from her seat. "I WANT LIGHTS OUT IN 5 MINUTES! GET YOUR BUTTS IN GEAR!"

* * *

 _ZPD Graduation Reception  
Week 16 of 16_

Judy couldn't remember feeling prouder than she did at that moment, looking into the crowd and seeing her father's joyful tears.

The ceremony had ended shortly afterward and everyone had moved to the reception. She'd practically been swarmed by her family, enveloped in a dozen hugs at once. She'd long since lost count of how many times someone had come up to shake her paw or offer their congratulations. He parents, bless them, alternated between praising their daughter and nervously eyeing the multitude of predators. They were once again in the middle of expressing their bottomless pride, but Judy was finding it difficult to pay attention. She felt intensely aware of the badge pinned to her chest as the same thought kept echoing through her mind.

She was a police officer.

SHE was a police officer.

She was a POLICE OFFICER.

After all these years, it wasn't an easy concept to wrap her head around.

Her mind came back to reality when her parents' voices trailed off, eyes widening as they gawked at something just behind her. Sighing, she already knew who to expect before she looked. Aiming her gaze upward, she turned and locked eyes with Sergeant Winters.

"May I have a word, Hopps?" He asked in his customary low grumble.

"Of course." She replied, pausing a heartbeat before adding. "Sergeant."

The snow leopard's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "A few days before you arrived at the academy, I received a phone call from a ZPD recruiter in Acorn Hill - an officer named Osborne."

Her eyes widened in recognition, but he forestalled any response with a raised paw. "He wanted to let me know about a bunny that was coming to the academy, and made particular mention of this bunny's attitude."

Judy felt her face heat up with embarrassment. Winters had been the bane of her existence since the day they met, but it was one thing to ridicule her in training - it was another thing entirely to berate her in front of her family!

"I've known Hamilton Osborne for a long time, Hopps - more years that I care to admit - and his word carries a great deal of weight with me." The Sergeant regarded the new ZPD officer, either not seeing or not caring about the bunny's anger. "Do you know what he said?"

Judy clenched her fists as she prepared to tear a long overdue strip out of Winters' hide.

"He told me," The Sergeant continued, not waiting for her to respond. "Matt, this bunny has what it takes. And he was right."

Judy her anger drained away in an instant, rendering her speechless. The Sergeant gave an uncharacteristic chuckle at her bewildered expression.

"Through my entire career, I can count the number of mammals I've known with your kind of fierce determination on one paw." He paused, frowning slightly. "You're going to come across mammals who'll say you got a free pass through the academy, or that you're a token bunny, or that you didn't really earn your place. Whatever they say, remember one thing; I have spent the last two months doing everything in my power to make you quit. We put you through the toughest training regimen we could assemble, and you still came out as Valedictorian."

"You earned this, Hopps." The Sergeant reached out to tap one claw on her badge. "You did, and nobody else. No mammal can take that away from you, understood?"

"Y-yes, Sergeant."

"Good. Now I believe you family is waiting for you." The snow leopard smiled as he smartly replaced his uniform headdress. "Good luck at Precinct One, Officer Hopps."

With that, Sergeant Matthew Winters turned on his heel and casually walked away.

* * *

End Part III


	4. Epilogue

_Note: Author makes to claim of ownership to the characters or settings._

* * *

 **Epilogue  
**

* * *

 _Zootopia Police Academy  
6 Months Later_

"I dunno, Carrots." Nick muttered, peering at the much larger mammals that made up his training group. "I think I might be out of my depth here."

"You'll do great." Judy assured him, adjusting the fox's tie and brushing an imaginary spot of lint off his shirt. "You aced all of the entrance exams, right?"

"Yeah, but this seems a bit more..." He gestured to the academy gates. "...intense."

"You'll do fine, Nick." She began to bounce happily. "Oh, I'm just so proud of you!"

"C'mon, Carrots..." Nick groaned, looking away with embarrassment. He hadn't been certain about going to the academy at first, troubled by the thought of failing and disappointing her. "Tone it down a little."

"Oh, stop that." She chided him. "You should be every bit as proud of yourself."

He nodded, clearing his throat and figeting slightly as he couldn't seem to decide what to do with his paws. "So...I guess I'll see you when I see you?"

"Yeah." Judy grinned. "I mean, of course you will. See me that is. And I'll see you, too. We'll see each other at work, right?"

A flicker of...something...must have shown in his expression, because she rushed to clarify. "And other places! We'll see each other all the time in places that aren't work! I promise that we'll start seeing each other as soon as you've graduated!"

Nick blinked at her choice of phrasing as the bunny desperately tried to recover. "I mean, not seeing each other as in seeing each other but more like seeing each in the sense that you'll be my partner and we'll be together no matter what!"

"Carrots!" Nick tried to interrupt as her perplexing tirade began to attract attention. "Carrots, you're yelling."

"You think I don't know that?!" The bunny cried as she threw her paws in the air.

Shaking his head, the fox smiled at his soon-to-be partner and spread his arms out. He grunted slightly when he felt the impact against his chest accompanied by the suddenly tight grip around his midsection. He looked down and smiled softly at the grey bunny, gently stroking her drooping ears. "C'mon now, it's just a few months. I'll be back before you know it, right?"

Judy nodded, her face buried in his shirt. "Remember, I'm just a phone call away if you need to talk."

"You bunnies." He chuckled. "So emot..."

"Oh, shush." Judy interrupted, looking up at him. "I believe in you and I'm going to miss you every minute you're gone, you dumb fox."

"The feeling's mutual, Fluff." He assured her, hugging the bunny tightly.

Eventually she released him, stepping back as te fox hefted a bag over his shoulder. Flashing her his trademark smirk, he moved to join his training group.

 _Oooooooooo  
Academy Instructor Offices  
Week 1 of 16_

"Good Morning, Rachel."

Major Rachel Friedkin looked up from her desk to find Sergeant Winters leaning against her office door, Snarlbucks cup in hand. "G'morning Matt. What can I do for you?"

"Just thought I'd drop by and see how the new training group is shaping up." He replied casually. "Any particular standouts?"

"They've barely been here an hour." Amused, she watched him take a sip of his drink. "No one has quite managed to distinguish themselves yet."

The cat nodded thoughtfully. Turning her attention back to her paperwork, Friedkin added, "Was there something else you needed?"

"Now that you mention it, I received an email from Officer Hopps the other day." Winters noted, idly examining his coffee cup. "About one of your new trainees, in fact."

"Oh?" Friedkin responded as she studied the recruit files strewn across her desk. "And what did she have to say?"

"Apparently," Winters replied casually. "The fox has what it takes."

Rachel looked up, giving the smirking feline her full attention. "Is that right?"

"Apparently so." He confirmed.

"Well," She grinned, retrieving Wilde's recruit file from the stack. "I guess we'll just have to see about that."

-END-


End file.
